Optical communications ports, e.g., ports equipped with infrared transceivers, are in use today for providing wireless communication links between electronic devices. Such wireless communication links can be utilized, for example, for transferring data between a computer and a keyboard, a printer, an RF modem, or another computer. An advantage of the optical communication link is that a user of an optically linked device has a greater freedom of placement of the device during use because of the elimination of movement-restricting cords. Unfortunately, there has been little if any industry standardization of optical communication ports, causing devices made by one manufacturer to be incompatible with devices made by another manufacturer.
Another type of interface being popularized by personal computer manufacturers is the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) interface. This interface is an electrical communications port utilizing a plug-in card format. The PCMCIA interface is an industry-standardized interface, but it requires direct connection of the two communicating devices, either in the form of a cable between the devices, or by virtue of one of the devices being made as a plug-in card in the PCMCIA format. The PCMCIA interface does not support optical communications.
Thus, what is needed is an industry-standardized interface that can support optical communications, thereby providing the placement advantages derived from elimination of wired connections, while maintaining interoperability among devices made by different manufacturers.